For the first time, Stony Brook University hosted the fall meeting of the SUNY Council on International Education (CIE) on its campus. The event brought together international education leaders from across the 64-campus State University of New York system, with both in-person and virtual participation.
“It was an honor to host this meeting for our peers and colleagues from other State University of New York campuses,” said Lindsi Walker, senior associate provost for global affairs. “Each college and university has a different situation and different needs, but we are all eager to learn from each other how we can best ensure we offer global experiences through study abroad programs, welcoming students from other countries to study on our campuses and supporting collaborative learning and scholarship. Meetings like these and organizations like the CIE demonstrate yet one more strength of our SUNY system.”
The agenda included discussions about preparing students for study abroad experiences, training faculty leading overseas trips to handle emergencies, and updates on study abroad programs throughout the SUNY network.
“We hope that the various sessions, presentations and updates were helpful, informative and perhaps even inspirational at times. As we mentioned throughout the two-day event, our CIE consortium’s success depends on our members’ contributions and our collaborations across the SUNY network,” said Adam Rubin, assistant vice provost and director of education abroad at the University at Buffalo and chair of the CIE. “I want to thank the incredible Stony Brook International Academic Programs team for organizing and hosting our meeting. Hosting these events takes considerable time and energy, but the team hosted us with unfailing positive energy and support.”
Stony Brook International Academic Programs organized the meeting. This office manages both outbound study abroad opportunities for Stony Brook students as well as exchange programs for international students coming to Stony Brook.
“I’m truly grateful to be in New York and part of the State University of New York. In Governor Hochul and Chancellor King, we have strong advocates for the importance of the international community — to our students, to our academic programs and to our scholarship and research,” said Carl W. Lejuez, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. “It’s so important that we have each other to share ideas and best practices. Together, we can ensure the nearly 400,000 students across the SUNY system have the international experiences that are critical to their development as informed, thoughtful global citizens.”
Stony Brook’s Office of Global Affairs also supports almost 4,000 international students from application through graduation. The office manages partnerships with institutions abroad, runs a summer program allowing non-Stony Brook international students to earn credits or improve English skills, connects international students with local families through a dedicated program, and recently opened a center designed specifically for international student support.
